Rose to Be Suspended in Betting Case Accord : Details of Compromise Between Reds’ Manager, Baseball Commissioner to Be Announced Today

Pete Rose, manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday accepted an indefinite suspension for betting on baseball after reaching a compromise agreement with Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti, sources said.

The details of the accord that ended almost six months of legal wrangling will be announced at a news conference in New York this morning.

Rose, who was in Minnesota for a television show Wednesday night and could not be reached for comment, has scheduled a news conference later today at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

It was not known whether Rose would begin his suspension immediately, but he agreed to undergo treatment for gambling addiction while serving his suspension, the sources said.

Removes Threat

Rose apparently agreed to the terms after Giamatti removed the threat of a lifetime ban, a penalty the commissioner could have imposed if he agreed with the results of baseball’s investigation, headed by Washington attorney John Dowd.

Dowd’s 225-page report on Rose’s gambling activity concluded that Rose consistently bet on Reds games between 1985 and 1987.

Rose, who has denied allegations that he bet on the Reds or on baseball, accepted the suspension despite winning a restraining order last June that stopped Giamatti from hearing the case. An Ohio state judge determined that Giamatti had prejudged the case.

But since then, Rose faced a difficult legal battle, which might have prompted the compromise.

The refusal of a federal appeals court last week to return his lawsuit against Giamatti to an Ohio state court left Rose, already facing heavy legal expenses, with no alternative but to pursue an injunction in federal court, where the sweeping power of the commissioner’s office has traditionally been upheld.

John D. Holschuh, a federal judge in Columbus, Ohio, was scheduled to begin the injunction hearing Monday.

Rose’s legal staff, for the first time Monday, received permission to inspect fingerprints on betting records found in the home of Paul Janszen, who allegedly ran bets for Rose, and concluded, as the FBI had, that the fingerprints were Rose’s, a source said.

Giamatti, in turn, had often said that he was willing to discuss a settlement but only if he--Giamatti--made the terms and not a judge or arbitrator. Distraught over the long court fight, Giamatti, sources said, used Rose’s appeals loss as leverage to push for a compromise.

Although details of the agreement were not released, the Dayton Daily News reported that an Ohio attorney said the deal called for an indefinite suspension, allowing Rose to ask for reinstatement in five years. Rose is not required to admit to any allegations against him, the newspaper reported.

The New York Times, quoting unnamed sources, reported that Rose will be declared permanently ineligible to work in baseball for betting on Reds games.

The Chicago Tribune said the suspension is for three to five years with an understanding he will be fully reinstated and eligible to return to the dugout.

According to the report prepared for Giamatti, Rose, under investigation since Feb. 20, was accused by bookmakers and other acquaintances of betting on baseball, including games involving the Reds.

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